As students in the Uvalde School District return to the classes Tuesday for their first day of school, many school districts in Cameron County are showing support for the district.
Students, staff and others in the Brownsville, Harlingen, San Benito, Santa Maria, La Feria, Los Fresnos and Point Isabel school districts are encouraged to wear maroon or maroon and white Tuesday to show their support to for the Uvalde students and staff.
“Let’s show our love and support to the Uvalde community,” Point Isabel Independent School District posted on its Facebook page.
On May 24, 19 students and two teachers were gunned down in their Robb Elementary school classrooms by an 18-year-old armed with assault style rifle. Authorities shot and killed the teenager. It was the worst mass school shooting in Texas.
On its Facebook page, the La Feria Independent School District posted “Uvalde CISD will start their first day of school this Tuesday, September 6, 2022, after the horrible tragedy that occurred last May. La Feria ISD would like to show their support of Uvalde’s community, staff, and students and participate in MAROON OUT DAY.”
During the active shooter incident at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, there was confusion among the responding law enforcement agencies as to which department was in charge.
A Texas House Committee report on the Uvalde school shooting said there was no clear leadership, unreliable communications in the building, and that law enforcement prioritized their own safety over that of the students and teachers
The mass shooting at the elementary school prompted school districts around the Rio Grande Valley, Texas and the nation to upgrade security measures at their schools. Many now have armed police officers on their campuses.
The Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District posted on its Facebook page “Los Fresnos CISD encourages our students and staff to wear maroon in solidarity.”
“Wear maroon and white to show support on their first day of school,” Santa Maria Independent School District posted on its Facebook page.
The Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District wrote “Wear maroon on Tues. Sept. 6th and stand with Uvalde students as they return to school.”
On Aug. 24, three months after the massacre, the Uvalde Independent School District voted to fire the district’s police chief Pete Arredondo, who had been on leave from the district since June 22.
Robb Elementary School is expected to be demolished, the city’s mayor said in late June.
